HEM
TNPer
I wrote this on the NS forum, hoping it would get some attention. Unfortunately the mods, in their non-existant wisdom, decided to lock the topic. I have no idea how many people read it, but I did want to re-post it here to make it available to this region.
Milograd is I -- And we are wrong
Community is the Cornerstone of Nationstates
HEM Tiberius
By now the drama in The South Pacific has come and gone as front page news. Only after the heat of the moment, though, do I want to address some central questions in this "revolution".
There are some, even after a prolonged period of waiting, who won't listen to this essay. This may be because you hate reading text, you just don't care, or you have been completely brainwashed by Milograd. That's fine. I understand. I never read much of what Unibot wrote ( tongue in cheek joke), though I hope to master the art of brevity better than my departed defender contemporary.
The first thing we have to do with this revolution is make a big assumption: We have to assume that Milograd's intentions are honest. In a game of power grabs and political influence games, that's a huge benefit of the doubt. But I'm going to make it. Why? Because quite a bit of what Milograd has done reminds me...of what I Did and...Did Again.
My Story
Allow me to give some context. I became involved in The North Pacific in 2008 during the political coup of UN Delegate Emperor Malthius. Inspired by the persistence of the established government I pledged my own -- and my fledging baby region's (Europeia) -- support for the government of Prime Minister Haor Chall. After this vibrant revolution I waxed and waned in activity, only sporadically maintaining full activity in the North Pacific.
By 2010, I was a big shot in my sphere of the world. Europeia had explored into one of the largest world regions, and I was ready to expand my personal influence. Dismayed with the inactivity of the North Pacific I worked to coup the region. The attempt was extremely close to being successful. This led to the first link's post, where I confessed to being the perpetrator behind the nation who almost endotarted his way to the delegacy.
See, having the gall to overthrow an established government originates from a profound arrogance. It takes quite a bit of egocentristism to say -- "My way is better," "I am bigger than the community," "I could do it better," -- even if a few key people are egging you on. That was my problem. I was extraordinarily arrogant. I saw myself as the king of the world. My following political actions in the North Pacific were evidence enough that I thought myself better than all those who were around me. It was a mistake, and it was wrong.
The power of a nationstates community goes beyond endorsements. This is how "traditionalists" get the game so wrong when they insist the game is "on-site" and deny the powers or the rights of off site venues. The power of the game is in a community of people who can communicate in an open and well kept environment. The community is a funnel through which bad ideas can be rooted out and good ones heard. It leads to more rational choices, stronger regions, and a more active game.
Anyway, back to me.
My attempt to rise to power via political means failed, and my frustration with inactivity lead me to depart from the North Pacific. However, only a few months later I saw another opportunity.
A regional veteran, a long dormant nation by the name of Shoeless Joe surpassed the legal delegate in endorsements. Despite what many supposed at the time, I never orchestrated this event, but I sure as hell took advantage of it. I was the driving political force behind the North Pacific Union -- a revolutionary government that followed -- and attempted to build a government system around the working models in my own sphere.
It didn't work. Shoeless Joe was an honorable man who was opposed to ejections to remain in power. Less than a week into the game he allowed himself to surpassed and succeeded. What had happened? What can be learned?
Lessons Learned?
Milograd's revolution in the South Pacific will fail, for the same reasons that mine failed almost three years ago. There are a few key points I want to draw out of my past and the current conflict:
(1) Communities solve problems
As said before, Nationstates communities are the true problem solvers within regions (No, not just for some silly April Fools day prank). Regions are only made up the people within them. There reaches a point where on game facilities can no longer handle the bandwidth needed for communities to filter through ideas and make choices. This is where the forums come in. Forums are not smokey rooms for the oligarchs, they are telephone lines for all nations who desire to be active.
You cannot solve problems by just seizing power and disregarding the community. It doesn't work, it doesn't make things better. You have a smaller pool of people giving feedback and a weaker region.
I thought by overthrowing the North Pacific government I could fix all the problems with a new constitution or a new set of rules. Problems are ingrained in a community, and only that community can solve them. One man can create a bandaid, but he can't single handily fix a region -- especially a feeder.
Milograd is doing the same thing. Maybe he believes deep down that he can fix the South Pacific -- but he can't. It has to be the entire region. The entire community.
(2) Regions don't change -- Communities change
Regions don't change. We've had the same damn five feeder region names for over half a decade. They aren't changing. What can change is the perspective of the people living in them.
It is impossible to truly change a region by just seizing power and declaring a new set of rules, laws, titles, and standards. The community isn't with you. You can only change the region by actively working to change minds within a set apparatus (ie the government that exists). I spent so much time thinking in the North Pacific that the older members held the region back, that I was the new shit, that they should just follow me.
Yeah I tried to convince them...kinda..But you can't just convince with a sparkly speech or statement. You have to invest yourself and show the region you care about their problems and want to help.
The only change you can force on a region is the ability to kill it. With enough influence and will, you can do that. But it's impossible to force on positive activity in any lasting way.
(3) Coups need to be legit
Revolutions, coups, whatever you call them. They need to be the tool of last resort. They need to used only when the community is disconnected with the region, but a few true powerplayers prevent the change that is demanded.
This is not the case in the South Pacific, or countless other regions. Members who have been apart of the community for years flock to the defense of a system that has worked. Rather, much of Milograd's support has been powerplayers on the outside of the South Pacific. The little support he has within the region are often those who (a.) have no idea what gameplay even is (b.) are naive and don't understand what is going on or (c.) just like communism. Not saying there aren't exceptions, but is clear where the community of the South Pacific lies.
Final Thoughts
Not only does the government of the South Pacific have the support of the community, it also has a huge apparatus for change. Indeed, literally days before Milograd's coup we just finished our "Great Council" which is a process used to mass edit our charter and laws. The South Pacific is not a region that is so disconnected from the community it needed a coup. Nay, I would say it is one of the most flexible and connected regions in all of Nationstates.
The purpose of this essay was not to bash Milograd relentlessly. However, many could say that his previous policy stances regarding delegate elections stand in stark contrast to his newly found populist tongue. Hey, it's something I've been guilty of too.
Why did I write this? For two reasons.
First to present my firm belief that Milograd needs to resign. His coup was not needed, and it is not helping the region. If there are small changes that need to be made they must be made by the community. The seat of power must stay with the community, and not the person with the most "endorsements". Change cannot be forced on any region -- even if needed -- and I do not believe it is.
Second, the events of the last few days remind me that I should make an apology to the people of the North Pacific. Three years ago I was twice involved in an attempt of revolution against your government. I regard it as one of the less admirable points of my career, and I thank you heartily for the support of my feeder home. The health seen in the North Pacific this last year should be testament to many that communities are far more capable of reviving regions than the Emperor Malthius, the Westwinds, or the Milograds.
